In Scotland forbidden to spank children
In Scotland, the legislation will prohibit physical punishment for children, confirmed local authorities. Scotland thus becomes the first part of the United Kingdom, where spanking children is outlawed.
Ministers have repeatedly stated that they do not support parents who use physical punishment against children, but the plans of the legislative prohibitions are not told.
But soon everything will change — the Deputy of Parliament from the Scottish green party John Finney introduced the bill, which is expected to be adopted by Ministers the Scottish government has already stated that they intend to make it a reality.
According to the proposals of Finney, which had been discussed all summer, the children will receive the same legal protection as adults.
Now Scottish parents from a legal point of view can in my defense to say that physical violence against the child was “justified”. Although the use of physical punishment for any objects or strike the child on the head is forbidden now.
“Equal protection”
There is no such prohibition in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Allowed parents to use “reasonable chastisement”.
However, they can file charges if the child has bruising, swelling, cuts, grazes or scratches that result from the use of force. In Wales now there is a consultation on a legislative ban on physical punishment of children.
Commissioner for the rights of the child in England, Ann Longfield called an outdated provision of the law under which parents are not responsible for the physical punishment of children.
The law needs to be changed in accordance with the belief of most parents that hitting children is impossible, and that there are more effective ways of encouraging good behaviour.Ann Longfilenames on the rights of the child in England
Agreed with her and the children’s Ombudsman in Wales, Sally Holland, adding that she was disappointed that the legal justification for such action of the parents still exists in the United Kingdom.
Finney introduced a bill in the Scottish Parliament with the comment that the practice of “chastisement”, you must stop and give children equal protection from violence as adults.